The New Orleans Pelicans (17-46) travel to face off against the Houston Rockets (38-25) on Saturday, March 8th. This game will be played at Toyota Center in Houston and televised on SCHN. The Rockets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Pelicans are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Pelicans. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Pelicans vs Rockets

The Pelicans Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Pelicans dropped to 17-46 on the season after a 109-97 home loss to the Rockets on Thursday. New Orleans entered the game as +3.5 underdogs but failed to cover the spread, losing by 12 points. The total score of 206 points fell well short of the 231.5-point over/under line.

New Orleans started strong, leading 34-31 after the 1st quarter, but an 11-0 run by Houston in the 3rd quarter put the game out of reach. The Pelicans were outscored 33-15 in the 3rd and couldn’t recover, despite winning the 4th quarter 23-20.

The Rockets Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Rockets improved to 38-25 this season with a 109-97 win over the Pelicans on Thursday. Houston, favored by 3.5 points, covered the spread with the 12-point victory. The game’s total of 206 points fell well short of the 231.5-point line.

After a close first half, Houston took control with an 11-0 run, stretching the score from 59-54 to 70-54. They dominated the 3rd quarter, outscoring New Orleans 33-15, and entered the 4th with an 89-74 lead.

Pelicans Offense Breakdown

The Pelicans struggled offensively in their loss to the Rockets, shooting just 37.3% from the field and hitting only 9 threes at a 33.3% clip. Trey Murphy III led the way with 26 points, scoring 15 of those in the first quarter.

Zion Williamson added 20 points and 10 rebounds, with 8 of his points coming in the 4th quarter. CJ McCollum contributed 13 points, making 3 threes at 50% efficiency.

Rockets Offense Breakdown

Alperen Şengün led the Rockets to a win over the Pelicans, scoring 22 points on 78.6% shooting. Amen Thompson added 21 points and 11 rebounds, hitting 76.9% of his shots, while Tari Eason contributed 20 points, knocking down 4 threes at a 50% rate.

Houston shot 56.8% from the field, but struggled from beyond the arc, making just 9 threes at 31%. Şengün scored 8 points in the 3rd quarter, while Thompson added 6 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Pelicans Team Defense

Defensively, the Pelicans struggled in the 1st and 3rd quarters, giving up 31 and 33 points, respectively, in their 109-97 loss to the Rockets. However, they tightened up in the 4th, allowing just 20 points. Despite the loss, New Orleans limited Houston’s damage from beyond the arc, holding them to 9 made threes on 31% shooting.

The Pelicans sent the Rockets to the line 18 times, where they hit 8 free throws. New Orleans collected 26 defensive rebounds while allowing 9 offensive boards. They also added 9 steals and 7 blocks in the game.

Rockets Team Defense

Defensively, the Pelicans gave up 109 points to the Rockets, struggling in the 1st and 3rd quarters where they allowed 31 and 33 points, respectively. However, they tightened up in the 4th, holding Houston to just 20 points. Despite the loss, New Orleans limited the Rockets’ three-point shooting, allowing only 9 threes on 31% shooting.

New Orleans sent Houston to the free-throw line 18 times, with the Rockets converting 8 of those attempts. The Pelicans grabbed 26 defensive rebounds while giving up 9 offensive boards. They also contributed 9 steals and 7 blocks in the game.

Pelicans vs Rockets Trends

• Through their last ten road games, New Orleans has an ATS record of just 2-8. However, their overall record was 2-8 while averaging 113 points per game.
• Houston has a 1-2 record in their last three home games. In this stretch, they averaged 113 points per game while allowing 116. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
• Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Pelicans have a straight up record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 1-4.
• Houston has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS in their last three games.

Pelicans vs Rockets Prediction

The Pelicans come in as the underdog at +8.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 229.5 and given that our model is projecting 238 points between the teams, we like the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.